Pro-Palestine Protests Escalate at Microsoft Headquarters, 18 Arrested Amid Calls to Cut Israel Ties

Redmond, Washington – Pro-Palestine activists, including current and former Microsoft employees, have engaged in a series of escalating demonstrations at Microsoft's Redmond headquarters this week, demanding the tech giant sever its business ties with Israel. The protests, organized by the "No Azure for Apartheid" group, saw 18 arrests on Wednesday, August 20, following property damage and alleged aggression towards law enforcement.

The demonstrations began on Tuesday, August 19, when approximately 35 protestors occupied a plaza on Microsoft's East Campus, establishing a "Liberated Zone" and renaming it "Martyred Palestinian Children's Plaza." While that initial protest dispersed peacefully after police warnings, the group returned on Wednesday, leading to a more confrontational encounter. Microsoft reported that protesters engaged in vandalism, including splattering red paint on the company sign, and disrupted a lunchtime farmers' market.

"UPDATE: Day three of the same pro-Hamas numbskulls out in front of Microsoft HQ in Redmond, calling for the tech giant to cut ties with Israel," stated Jonathan Choe in a tweet on August 21, referring to the ongoing demonstrations. Choe's tweet also indicated that activists planned to disrupt the commute home for riders at the Redmond Technology Station on Thursday, August 21, but this was prevented due to a significant police presence, with no arrests reported at that specific location.

The "No Azure for Apartheid" campaign has been active for over a year, advocating for Microsoft to end its contracts with the Israeli military and government, asserting that the company's Azure cloud platform and AI technologies contribute to civilian deaths and surveillance in Gaza and the West Bank. The group's manifesto, "We will not be cogs in the Israeli genocidal machine: a call for a Worker Intifada," demands complete divestment from Israeli partnerships, reparations for Palestinians, and an end to discrimination against pro-Palestinian workers.

Microsoft, which provides Azure cloud services and AI tools to the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD), has stated it found "no evidence to date that Microsoft’s Azure and AI technologies have been used to target or harm people in the conflict in Gaza" following an internal review. However, the company announced on August 15 that it is undertaking a formal review with law firm Covington & Burling into recent allegations reported by The Guardian that the Israeli Defense Forces used Azure for storing mass surveillance data of Palestinian phone calls. Microsoft's standard terms of service prohibit such usage.

The company has maintained that its relationship with the IMOD is a standard commercial one, bound by its Acceptable Use Policy and AI Code of Conduct, which prohibit harmful use. Microsoft has also noted instances of employees being terminated for unauthorized campus events and disrupting executive speeches related to these protests. The escalating protests underscore growing employee and public scrutiny over the ethical implications of tech companies' involvement in international conflicts.